Collects and Prayers - April 25, 2010 - Fourth Sunday of Easter

Greeting
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed! And we are risen with him.
Leader: Christ calls the dead to get up.
People: We arise and follow the Good Shepherd.
Leader: God renews every creature; even the stones sing out.
People: All of creation responds with joy.

Collect
To the Living God, we give you thanks and praise for the unending love for us you demonstrated on the cross, a love that can change even death to life. You have offered us transformation through the resurrection; may we turn daily to your Light and Truth as our means of conversion. Mark us as your children, so that we may be truly yours and filled with eternal life. In your holy name we pray, Amen.

Collects and Prayers - April 18, 2010 - Third Sunday of Easter

Greeting
Leader: Like Saul on the road to Damascus, our eyes are opened to new life.
People: Turn our gaze to the living God.
Leader: Like Simon Peter, the fisherman, our arms are opened to God's bounty.
People: Turn our hands into instruments of the risen Christ.
Leader: Like the child plunged into the waters of baptism, we await new birth.
People: Turn us anew into children of God.

Collect
God of things made utterly new, as we gather here in the name of the risen Christ, uplift us with his continuing Easter joy. Extend our worship beyond habit, higher than loving duty, and deeper into that universe of the spirit where delight and praise and new life flow more freely than the air we breathe. To the glory of your name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Collects and Prayers - April 11, 2010 - Second Sunday of Easter

Greeting
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed!
Leader: When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy.
People: May we also see and believe and be glad.
Leader: To Christ, who loves and liberates us by his blood,
People: Be glory and dominion forever!

Collect
God of the living, immerse us in the resurrection life. Give us the desire to be patient as you have been patient with us, to be merciful with doubters as you are merciful, to encourage and enable those who waver, even as you have encouraged us. Through Christ Jesus our risen Lord. Amen.

Prayers of the People
Sisters and brothers in Christ,
God invites us to bring our doubts and fears,
our joys and concerns, our petitions and praise,
and offer them on behalf of the church and the world.

Let us now lay our cares at the feet of Him who bought our eternal salvation.

For the Church universal, that the throngs of Easter worshippers will find reason to return to the Table of the Lord, casting aside past reservations. May the Church welcome and celebrate faith renewed and regained. Let us pray ... Risen Lord, hear our prayer.

For this community of believers and Christians everywhere who seek to be the face of Christ to a doubting world, may we recall the words of St. Teresa of Avila: "Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours." Let us pray ... Risen Lord, hear our prayer.

For the new members we received this church last Sunday. May they be filled with the Easter joy and find a path of passionate service to God and this community through ministries that use their spiritual gifts to the fullest. Let us pray ... Risen Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who doubt the presence of Christ in their lives, because of personal loss, hardship, or a crisis of faith. May they find his real presence in the compassion of others. Let us pray ... Risen Lord, hear our prayer.

For all who have died, especially our loved ones, may Christ raise them to eternal glory with Him. Let us pray ... Risen Lord, hear our prayer.

For the earth and all its creatures, may we wisely and gently care for its bounty, entrusted to us by the Author of Creation, and be filled with the wonder of new life in this season of rebirth. Let us pray ... Risen Lord, hear our prayer.

Receive these prayers, O God,
and transform us through them,
that we may have eyes to see and hearts to understand
not only what you do on our behalf,
but what you call us to do in your name
so that the Kingdom may come.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collects and Prayers - April 4, 2010 - Easter Sunday

Greeting
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: Christ is risen, indeed!
Leader: Stones roll away, tombs are open, new possibilities are born, women sing for joy and men race to share the good news.
People: Light emerges from darkness; new life springs from the shadow of death.
Leader: He is not to be found among the dead, but here among the living.
People: Let us come to worship the living God. Alleluia!

Collect
Almighty God,
Through your son Jesus Christ, you overcame death
And opened to us the gate of everlasting life.
Grant that we,
Who celebrate the day of our Lord’s resurrection,
May, by the renewing of your Spirit
Arise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.